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Snow-filled Orelle bowls and chairlifts viewed from beneath Pointe du Bouchet.
Explore / Orelle / Travel & Lodging

ORELLE

📍Orelle, Savoie, France

💎 Hidden Gem🏔️ Expert Paradise🧗 Backcountry Access7 Days on Epic☀️ Year-round destination

Photo: Florian Pépellin · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Photo details

⬇️
Vertical drop
6,234 ft*
🗻
Skiable terrain
400 acres*
❄️
Avg snowfall
157 in*
🚡
Lifts
3*
Hotels & direct contacts ↓

GETTING THERE

Nearest Airports

✈️
GVA
Geneva Airport
About 2.5–3.5 hours
drive time
✈️
LYS
Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport
About 2.5–3.5 hours
drive time
✈️
CMF
Chambéry Airport
About 1–2 hours
drive time

Approximate planning ranges; allow extra time for traffic and winter conditions.

Approach through the Maurienne valley on the A43. Head to Francoz for the Orelle gondola, even if your accommodation is in another hamlet. From Italy, check the Fréjus tunnel before choosing a driving route. Book any onward transfer from the railway station separately.

WHERE TO STAY

Use these picks to compare location, atmosphere and the kind of stay you want. Ask for a total quote for your dates and room, including fees and cancellation terms.

Nearby stays

Local hotel options with direct contacts; request a quote for your dates

Nearby stay

La Maison du Bonheur

vacation-rental · Le Chef-Lieu, Orelle · onward trip to Francoz

It suits a family looking for a house and room to cook. Check linen arrangements and the route to the gondola when booking.

Family self-cateringVillage house stays
🍳Large kitchen
Sources & planning details

Checked: identity, property type, mountain access, recommendation details, booking link, Large kitchen.

Supporting source ↗ · checked 2026-10-31

Contact sources cover contact details, independently of room amenities.

View hotel / booking page
Nearby stay

Gîte Rosaël

vacation-rental · Francoz · near the Orelle gondola departure

The location gives a group space to gather near the valley gondola. Compare the house and studio layouts before booking.

GroupsFrancoz gondola access
🎿Ski room
Sources & planning details

Checked: identity, property type, mountain access, recommendation details, booking link, Ski room.

Supporting source ↗ · checked 2026-10-31

Contact sources cover contact details, independently of room amenities.

View hotel / booking page
Nearby stay

HOB Orelle

hostel · Francoz, Orelle · near the valley gondola

Solo visitors can select a bed, while families can reserve a private room in the same village as the gondola departure.

Shared roomsIndependent skiers
Sources & planning details

Checked: identity, property type, mountain access, recommendation details, booking link.

Supporting source ↗ · checked 2026-10-31

Contact sources cover contact details, independently of room amenities.

View hotel / booking page

premium

High-quality stays with great features

Premium$$$ · earlier budget guide

Le Hameau des Eaux d’Orelle by Alpvision

apartment · In the Hameau des Eaux d’Orelle residence · separate trip to Francoz gondola

Compare the individual apartment layout and ask which services are included. Check the winter shuttle stop and departure times for Francoz.

Apartment staysOn-site pool and spa
🏊Residence pool💆Residence spa
Features to ask about

Earlier listings mention Confirm spa facilities, Check individual booking terms, Check winter service to Francoz, Ask about ski storage. Current availability at this property or in your room is not confirmed.

Sources & planning details

Checked: identity, property type, mountain access, recommendation details, booking link, Residence pool, Residence spa.

Without current field-level confirmation: price guide, Confirm spa facilities, Check individual booking terms, Check winter service to Francoz, Ask about ski storage.

Supporting source ↗ · checked 2026-10-31

Contact sources cover contact details, independently of room amenities.

View hotel / booking page

moderate

Solid value with good amenities

Moderate

Appartements Destination Orelle

apartment · 600 metres from the Orelle gondola with a free winter shuttle

Equipped kitchens suit self-catering stays, while the indoor pool, spa and free winter gondola shuttle add useful options for ski days and evenings in.

self-catering groupsfamilies3 Vallées access
🍳Kitchen🏊Pool💆Spa🚐Shuttle
Sources & planning details

Checked: identity, property type, mountain access, recommendation details, booking link, kitchen, pool, spa, shuttle service.

Supporting source ↗ · checked 2026-10-27

Supporting source ↗ · checked 2026-10-27

Contact sources cover contact details, independently of room amenities.

View hotel / booking page

OVERNIGHT STAYS & CAMPERVANS

For Orelle, compare a booked room or rental around Orelle with a designated campsite that accepts your vehicle and winter dates. Choose your base around the daily mountain journey and the power, water and indoor facilities you need.

Compare lodging options ↗

Book a designated overnight place for your vehicle and dates. Day parking does not provide permission to camp.

🐕 PET POLICY

Historical pet-policy guidance.

Dogs are not allowed on the Orelle gondola or on any ski slopes in Les 3 Vallées. The small village of Orelle is rural and dogs are welcome in the area. Very few tourist facilities exist in Orelle itself — it functions primarily as a lift access point.

Confirm rooms, fees and access rules with the property or resort before you travel. A pet-friendly area does not mean pets can use ski slopes or lifts.

Read our pet travel guide →
Sources & planning context

Historical planning figures · Figures marked * come from earlier references and may differ from current resort figures.

Other names · Orelle 3 Vallées, Orelle Caron

Compare the setting and type of stay. Room choice, availability and the total booking price are specific to your dates.

Typically early December to mid April

A broad planning range from the historical guide, conditions permitting. Use the operator’s schedule for your travel dates.

Official schedules & conditions ↗
Schedule source ↗Official resort ↗
Summer and winter destination
Yes
Source ↗ · Oct 25, 2026
Beyond winter
Plan Bouchet hiking and marked mountain-bike routes; Orelle-Caron gondola sightseeing to Cime Caron.
Source ↗ · Oct 25, 2026
Official website
https://www.orelle.net/
Source ↗ · Oct 27, 2026
Runs
9
Source ↗ · Oct 27, 2026

Historical mountain figures awaiting field-level confirmation: Vertical drop (ft), Skiable area (acres), Lifts, Reported average snowfall (in), Base elevation (ft), Summit elevation (ft).

Individual listings retain their own sources and check dates. A source check covers only the named details; it does not confirm availability. Snowfall averages describe climate, not a forecast.

Locations à Orelle avec spa & piscine | Les 3 Vallées ↗The official residence page says its studios and apartments are 600 metres from the gondola with a free winter shuttle, and lists an indoor pool, spa, restaurant, parking, supermarket and laundry. · Checked Oct 27, 2026. This check covers these details only.

Orelle ski area ↗Village gondola, Plan Bouchet, Lory piste and onward high-mountain access. · Checked Oct 31, 2026. This check covers these details only.

Orelle piste map ↗OR1 connects Francoz to Plan Bouchet. OR2 continues to Cime Caron. · Checked Oct 31, 2026. This check covers these details only.

Opinel museum visitor information ↗The knife museum is in central Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne. · Checked Oct 31, 2026. This check covers these details only.

Orelle tourism — Le Hameau des Eaux d’Orelle ↗Alpvision rents apartments in a residence arranged across chalet buildings, with a pool, spa, restaurant and small shop. The gondola departure is separate. · Checked Oct 31, 2026. This check covers these details only.

Orelle tourism — La Maison du Bonheur ↗A two-bedroom holiday house in Le Chef-Lieu with a large kitchen and shower room. Contact the owner through the tourist-office listing. · Checked Oct 31, 2026. This check covers these details only.

Orelle tourism — Gîte Rosaël ↗Three-bedroom house near the Francoz gondola departure, with living space, two bathrooms and ski room. A connecting studio can be requested for a larger party. · Checked Oct 31, 2026. This check covers these details only.

Orelle reservations — HOB Orelle ↗Hotel-hostel in Francoz with double and family rooms and shared rooms with bunk beds. Dorm beds are reserved directly with HOB. The site lists dining and a bar. · Checked Oct 31, 2026. This check covers these details only.

Orelle ski school ↗ESF Orelle offers group ski lessons and private ski or snowboard lessons. Its meeting area is on the mountain at Plan Bouchet. An Orelle start does not guarantee an on-time arrival at a Val Thorens lesson. · Checked Oct 31, 2026. This check covers these details only.

ESF Orelle meeting point ↗Meet outside the school chalet at the top of the Orelle gondola near the Peyron chair. Val Thorens has different lesson meeting points. · Checked Oct 31, 2026. This check covers these details only.

Orelle Sports, Orelle tourism ↗The Francoz shop offers ski and snowboard rentals, boot fitting, custom footbeds and equipment servicing. · Checked Oct 31, 2026. This check covers these details only.

Sport 2000 Maurienne rentals ↗The shop offers ski rentals at its Rue du 8 Mai 1945 location in Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne. · Checked Oct 31, 2026. This check covers these details only.

Sport 2000 Maurienne shop contact ↗The Sport 2000 branch is in Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne and takes inquiries at 04 79 83 07 25. · Checked Oct 31, 2026. This check covers these details only.

Orelle tourism – Restaurant HOB Orelle ↗On Route de Francoz, HOB welcomes locals and visitors for regionally inspired cooking, coffee, wine and drinks. · Checked Oct 31, 2026. This check covers these details only.

Orelle tourism – Chalet Chinal-Donat ↗At Plan Bouchet, the mountain restaurant serves Savoyard specialties, international food and pastries and is accessible by gondola or piste. · Checked Oct 31, 2026. This check covers these details only.

Orelle tourism – Bar des 4 Vallées ↗The bar in Francoz serves coffee, snacks and aperitifs on the gondola square. · Checked Oct 31, 2026. This check covers these details only.

Orelle tourist office – Hameau des Eaux residence ↗The tourist office lists a restaurant at the apartment residence with the option to arrange meals as part of a stay. · Checked Oct 31, 2026. This check covers these details only.

  • Les 3 Vallées resort schedule ↗

    Planned winter operation; weather dependent.

  • Activités été ↗

    Plan Bouchet hiking and marked mountain-bike routes; Orelle-Caron gondola sightseeing to Cime Caron.

  • Orelle ski area ↗

    The official Orelle ski area page supports the asserted static mountain facts. Metric source values are stored in the site's rounded imperial display units.

SEE YOU UP THERE.

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